Athens, Greece: A chilling mob-style execution at a petrol station in southern Athens has thrust the brutal reality of the Greek mafia into the spotlight as police scramble to hunt down the killers of crime boss Vangelis Zambounis.
CCTV footage, later leaked to Greek media and sparking controversy, captured the horrifying scene in its entirety. An armoured BMW is parked, and Zambounis steps out, unsuspecting. From behind, a Lexus screeches to a halt. Two figures emerge, one cloaked in black and a balaclava, the other a silent accomplice. What follows is a hail of bullets – over 90 rounds from a Kalashnikov rifle, tearing through the BMW's windows and Zambounis's body. In a scene ripped from a Hollywood gangster film, the gunman finishes the job with pistol shots before both disappear into the Athenian night, leaving behind the smoking wreckage of their getaway car and a city reeling from the brazen display of violence.
Zambounis, a name whispered with fear in Greece's criminal underworld, wasn't known for subtlety. Allegedly the head of a powerful extortion ring, his fingers were said to be dipped in cigarette and fuel smuggling. His 2018 encounter with a malfunctioning assassin's gun was just a hint of the life he led. This time, luck ran out.
Motives swirl in the aftermath, a tangled web of mafia vendettas and territorial wars. Did this brutal hit avenge the 2023 slaying of rival boss Vassilis Roubetis? Was it another chapter in the bloody clash between local tobacco smugglers and Ukrainian cigarette kingpins flooding the market with cheap smoke? Greek media speculates, the air thick with whispers and unconfirmed reports.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the killers gathers pace. Two police officers, accused of leaking the CCTV footage, face disciplinary action, adding a layer of internal chaos to the investigation. More than 20 contract killings since 2017 cast a long shadow over the country, a grim reminder of the violence simmering beneath the surface of Greek society.
Zambounis's death is a brutal punctuation mark in this ongoing saga. As police chase shadows and theories multiply, one thing remains clear: the Greek mafia's grip remains tight, and Athens streets echo with the unsettling rhythm of the underworld's deadly games.
